Something really interesting is going on...

...with TextMate. I am using it and liking everything that I see. However, there are users out there more passionate about it then I am. In fact, they are so passionate about this new editor for the OS X that they are writing articles about it on their blogs. Amazing!

There are many other excellent editors out there for OS X. For instance the veteran BBEdit, the innovative SubEthaEdit and also the web-developer's arsenal SKEdit. There are many people using those editors but I have not really come across any blogs writing about tips on how to enhance their usage.

What blogs are there that write about TextMate? Well, for a quick list, head over here.

There could be a few reasons for the passion that surrounds TextMate but here are some that I can come up with at the moment:

• Extensible plug-ins
  People can get up to speed by writing their own language bundles. This not only saves the time for the developer but also ensures that the user really gets what he or she wants. It is easy for a developer to go around developing language bundles but it will probably not be much use for the people that use them. For instance, a web developer will have different needs from a programmer.
• Developer blog, mailing list and IRC channel
  TextMate maintains an active blog that updates its users with all the new features. Geeks lust for such features and are eager to find out what they can do next. Also, the mailing list provides a good way to ask questions. Also, the IRC channel allows quick answers for most questions.
• SVN updates
  This definitely has some appeal for most developers. Personally, I liked keeping track each day of all the new bundles being added. I like to stay at the bleeding edge of TextMate and so I do an update almost everyday. It makes me feel good and I feel that this editor has a bright future for it since it is always evolving.
• Free advertisement
  There is a lot of advertisement going on for TextMate. For instance on the getting started section on the Ruby on Rails website:

  "The entire Rails core team is using TextMate on Mac OS X. It's a fantastic editor that ships with Ruby on Rails highlighting and macros..."

  Simple but effective advertising. No doubt anyone on a Mac trying out Ruby on Rails will also check out TextMate. Also, once you get your users talking about the editor, then other users will follow suit. It begins a chain reaction that gets users really passionate about the product.

I am really looking forward to see what TextMate is going to offer next.